Waxing and Waning

My mother instilled within me a deep love for the night sky. We would walk outside in the dark, looking up at meteor showers, constellations, the deep blue-black of the heavens. Sometimes we would sit on a blanket, other times we'd camp out on the upper deck of our house with her gigantic telescope. But, oh... then there was the moon! All of the phases it went through, blue moons, blood moons, the corona around the moon, the man on the moon, the craters, the reflection of light from the sun, the moon landing, the tides -- so very many stories from just one white circle (or sliver) in the sky.

It occurred to me recently that the moon isn't the only thing that waxes and wanes. I recently posted on Facebook that my faith in humanity waxes and wanes on a daily basis. I'm nothing more than an observer in certain situations -- hearing news of mass murders, of rape, of children being neglected and abused. I feel my soul, like the moon, waning away from other humans, wanting to crawl into a little sliver and then disappear from the planet completely. Then I see marches where people stand up for themselves and for one another, love winning out, outrageous generosity, and my emotional moon waxes, swells to full in pride and in faith. Other times, it's a personal affront, being scammed out of money, or having someone talk about me behind my back... or a personal victory like getting a raise or accomplishing a goal.

What is it about this journey of life that constantly makes it worth getting up each day, plugging away at the grind that emerges every 24 hours, just to blink some sleep and start all over the next?

Maybe it's your faith. Maybe it's your family. Maybe it's your friends, your cat, your determination, your persistent warrior spirit, your curiosity, your incredible sense of adventure.

Whatever it is, I encourage you to keep getting up. Out of bed, off the ground, back on the horse. This is the most spectacular ride you've ever been on. And even when you feel like the world is collapsing around you and it's not worth it, I assure you -- it is. It IS worth it. You have a purpose, even if you haven't figured it out yet.

Bundle up tonight and go stand beneath the moon. Just look at it. Witness how majestic it is, how something so still can be doing so much just by BEING THERE.

Then, realize, you are the same. You are the moon. You can reflect the light of Another, you can influence, you can be still while accomplishing so, so much. Even if nobody takes the time to look at you, you can be there.

Stephanie Jean